BCR::ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of hematopoietic malignancies in which somatic mutations are acquired in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, resulting in an ...abnormal increase in blood cells in peripheral blood and fibrosis in bone marrow. Mutations in JAK2, MPL, and CALR are frequently found in BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs, and detecting typical mutations in these three genes has become essential for the diagnosis of BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs. Furthermore, comprehensive gene mutation and expression analyses performed using massively parallel sequencing have identified gene mutations associated with the prognosis of BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs such as ASXL1, EZH2, IDH1/2, SRSF2, and U2AF1. Furthermore, single-cell analyses have partially elucidated the effect of the order of mutation acquisition on the phenotype of BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs and the mechanism of the pathogenesis of BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs. Recently, specific CREB3L1 overexpression has been identified in megakaryocytes and platelets in BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs, which may be promising for the development of diagnostic applications. In this review, we describe the genetic mutations found in BCR::ABL1-negative MPNs, including the results of analyses conducted by our group.
Unique frameshift mutations in the
calreticulin (CALR)
gene, which encodes an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized molecular chaperone, have been identified in patients with essential thrombocythemia ...(ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), which are subgroups of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the consequences of these mutations with regard to tumorigenesis and/or signal transduction. Expression of mutant
CALR
induces thrombocytosis in animal models, producing the phenotype of ET. Mutant CALR preferentially interacts with and activates the thrombopoietin receptor MPL, resulting in MPL-dependent cellular transformation. A novel carboxyl-terminal sequence generated by a frameshift mutation in CALR mediates intermolecular interactions to form homomultimers and induces structural changes required for MPL binding and activation. The homomultimerized mutant CALR behaves similarly to a cytokine, stabilizing homodimerized MPL by binding to immature MPL N-glycans. Mutant CALR may engage with MPL in the ER, but fails to dissociate, conveying MPL to the cell surface where MPL activation is likely to occur. Collectively, cell-autonomous and constitutive activation of MPL is a cause of MPNs that are mediated by mutant CALR. Novel therapeutic strategies for treating MPNs that target these mechanisms should, therefore, be developed.
Deregulation of cytokine signaling is frequently associated with various pathological conditions, including malignancies. In patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), recurrent somatic ...mutations in the calreticulin (CALR) gene, which encodes a molecular chaperone that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum, have been reported. Studies have defined mutant CALR as an oncogene promoting the development of MPN, and deciphered a novel molecular mechanism by which mutant CALR constitutively activates thrombopoietin receptor MPL and its downstream molecules to induce cellular transformation. The mechanism of interaction and activation of MPL by mutant CALR is unique, not only due to the latter forming a homomultimeric complex through a novel mutant‐specific sequence generated by frameshift mutation, but also for its ability to interact with immature asparagine‐linked glycan for eventual engagement with immature MPL in the endoplasmic reticulum. The complex formed between mutant CALR and MPL is then transported to the cell surface, where it induces constitutive activation of downstream kinase JAK2 bound to MPL. Refined structural and cell biological studies can provide an in‐depth understanding of this unusual mechanism of receptor activation by a mutant molecular chaperone. Mutant CALR is also involved in modulation of the immune response, transcription, and intracellular homeostasis, which could contribute to the development of MPN. In the present article, we comprehensively review the current understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms for mutant molecular chaperone‐induced cellular transformation.
In the present review, we would like to propose a novel and exciting model: mutant molecular chaperone serves as a ligand to constitutively activate a cytokine receptor on the cell surface for the induction of cellular transformation.
Deregulation of the cytokine‐receptor signaling pathway plays a significant role in tumorigenesis. Such deregulation is frequently caused by alterations in the genes involved in the signaling ...pathway. At the end of 2013, recurrent somatic mutations in the calreticulin (CALR) gene that encodes a molecular chaperone were identified in a subset of patients with Philadelphia‐chromosome negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). The present review focuses on the role of CALR mutations in the oncogenic transformations observed in MPN. All the CALR mutations were found to generate a + 1 frameshift in the reading frame on exon 9, which encodes the carboxy (C)‐terminus end of CALR, and thus conferred a common mutant‐specific sequence in all the CALR mutants. The mutant CALR (but not the wild‐type) constitutively activates the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor, myeloproliferative leukemia protein (MPL), even in the absence of TPO to induce cellular transformation. Preferential interaction between the mutant CALR and MPL is achieved by a presumptive conformational change induced by the mutant‐specific C‐terminus domain, which allows N‐domain binding to MPL. Even though mutant CALR is expressed on the cell surface and is secreted out of cells, it only presents autocrine capacity for MPL activation. These findings define a novel molecular mechanism by which the mutant molecular chaperone constitutively activates the cytokine receptor to induce cellular transformation.
This review covered a novel molecular mechanism by which the mutant molecular chaperone constitutively activates the cytokine receptor to induce cellular transformation.
There are fateful encounters that may be turning points in your life. I regard my retirement as a professor to be an excellent opportunity to look back on my life. I have been blessed with encounters ...that would never come again, for instance, when I decided to become a physician, then a hematologist, when I was appointed a professor, and when I selected a new path after a mandatory retirement age. Although my life was chosen by myself, it is true that it went in a completely different direction I had vaguely imagined or expected in the past. However, I have no regrets at all. Looking back on my life, it is totally attributed to wonderful encounters with many people, inspiration from them, and their support in various places. Now that I have completed my 16-year-plus responsibility as a professor and reached the retirement age with no troubles, I am just grateful to all the people who supported me. There are many things I experienced as a professor, but what struck me most is "people are the treasure." I cite here a famous word of a great commander Shingen Takeda, "The people are your castle, your stone walls, your moat. We show compassion for our allies, and vengeance for our enemies," which shows us "the importance of people." The word "Jin," the motto of Juntendo University, can help us to take the first step ("Jin" means "I live surrounded by other people" and "thoughtful consideration to others, affection for others.")
Chemotherapy for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the hemodialysis (HD) patient is a challenging situation. Because many drugs are predominantly eliminated by the kidneys, chemotherapy in the HD patient ...requires special considerations concerning dose adjustments to avoid overdose and toxicities. Conversely, some drugs are removed by HD and may expose the patient to undertreatment, therefore the timing of drug administration in relation to HD sessions must be carefully planned. Also, the metabolites of some drugs show different toxicities and dialysability as compared with the parent drug, therefore this must also be catered for. However, the pharmacokinetics of many chemotherapeutics and their metabolites in HD patients are unknown, and the fact that NHL patients are often treated with distinct multiagent chemotherapy regimens makes the situation more complicated. In a realm where uncertainty prevails, case reports and case series reporting on actual treatment and outcomes are extremely valuable and can aid physicians in decision making from drug selection to dosing. We carried out an exhaustive review of the literature and adopted 48 manuscripts consisting of 66 HD patients undergoing 71 chemotherapy regimens for NHL, summarized the data, and provide recommendations concerning dose adjustments and timing of administration for individual chemotherapeutics where possible. The chemotherapy regimens studied in this review include, but are not limited to, rituximab, cyclophosphamide + vincristine + prednisolone (CVP) and cyclophosphamide + doxorubicin + vincristine + prednisolone (CHOP)‐like regimens, chlorambucil, ibrutinib, bendamustine, methotrexate, platinum compounds, cytarabine, gemcitabine, etoposide, ifosfamide, melphalan, busulfan, fludarabine, mogamulizumab, brentuximab vedotin, and 90Y‐ibritumomab tiuxetan.
Chemotherapy for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the hemodialysis (HD) patient is a challenging situation. We carried out an exhaustive review of the literature and adopted 48 manuscripts consisting of 66 HD patients undergoing 71 chemotherapy regimens for NHL, summarized the data, and provide recommendations concerning dose adjustments and timing of administration for individual chemotherapeutics where possible.
Recurrent somatic mutations of calreticulin (CALR) have been identified in patients harboring myeloproliferative neoplasms; however, their role in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here, we found that ...the expression of mutant but not wild-type CALR induces the thrombopoietin (TPO)-independent growth of UT-7/TPO cells. We demonstrated that c-MPL, the TPO receptor, is required for this cytokine-independent growth of UT-7/TPO cells. Mutant CALR preferentially associates with c-MPL that is bound to Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) over the wild-type protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the mutant-specific carboxyl terminus portion of CALR interferes with the P-domain of CALR to allow the N-domain to interact with c-MPL, providing an explanation for the gain-of-function property of mutant CALR. We showed that mutant CALR induces the phosphorylation of JAK2 and its downstream signaling molecules in UT-7/TPO cells and that this induction was blocked by JAK2 inhibitor treatment. Finally, we demonstrated that c-MPL is required for TPO-independent megakaryopoiesis in induced pluripotent stem cell–derived hematopoietic stem cells harboring the CALR mutation. These findings imply that mutant CALR activates the JAK2 downstream pathway via its association with c-MPL. Considering these results, we propose that mutant CALR promotes myeloproliferative neoplasm development by activating c-MPL and its downstream pathway.
•Mutant CALR induces TPO-independent growth in the human megakaryocytic cell line UT-7/TPO.•Mutant CALR binds to the TPO receptor, inducing phosphorylation of JAK2 and activating downstream signaling.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has become an increasingly popular treatment for orthopaedics and sports-related injuries, and various clinically available PRP preparation methods exist. However, ...the differences in PRP quality among numerous preparation methods remain unclear. Specifically, the benefit of including leukocytes in the PRP product remains controversial, and few studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of the interaction between platelets and leukocytes on the growth factor concentrations. The aim of the present study was to compare the biological characteristics of PRPs focusing on the leukocyte concentration and composition.
Leucocyte rich (LR)-PRP, leucocyte poor (LP)-PRP, and pure-PRP were prepared from the peripheral blood of 6 healthy male volunteers (mean age: 31.3 years). The concentrations of platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes, growth factors (transforming growth factor-beta 1: TGF-β1; fibroblast growth factor-basic: FGF-b; platelet-derived growth factor-BB: PDGF-BB; vascular endothelial growth factor: VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) from each of the PRP samples were measured. Considering the interaction between platelets and leukocytes, correlations between platelets/leukocytes and growth factors/MMP-9 were analyzed using partial correlation coefficients.
The platelet concentration did not differ among the three PRP preparation methods. Conversely, the leukocyte concentration was dramatically different: 14.9 ± 4.5 (10(3)/μl) in LR-PRP, 2.4 ± 1.3 (10(3)/μl) in LP-PRP, 0.2 ± 0.2 (10(3)/μl) in pure-PRP. The platelet concentration positively correlated with all growth factors. On the other hand, the leukocyte concentration positively correlated with PDGF-BB and the VEGF concentration, while it negatively correlated with FGF-b. Regarding catabolic factors, the MMP-9 concentration strongly correlated with the leukocyte concentration, while there was no correlation between the platelet and MMP-9 concentrations.
These findings demonstrate that leukocytes strongly influence the quality of PRPs. Therefore, modifying the PRP preparation method according to the pathology is essential to achieve better clinical results with PRP therapy.
Objective Thrombocytosis can occur as a primary event accompanying hematological diseases or as a secondary event. Since the publication of the World Health Organization classification in 2008, ...thrombocytosis is now generally defined as a platelet count above 450×109/L. Furthermore, the discovery of driver-gene mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has simplified the diagnostic approach for thrombocytosis. To identify the causes of thrombocytosis using this new definition, we conducted a retrospective study. Methods We identified outpatients and inpatients aged 20 years or older with platelet counts >450×109/L in a half-year period at a single institute and analyzed the causes of thrombocytosis and associated clinical characteristics. Results Among 1,202 patients with thrombocytosis, 150 (12.5%) had primary and 999 (83.1%) had secondary thrombocytosis. Of these patients with primary thrombocytosis, 129 (86%) had at least 1 molecular marker indicative of MPNs. The major causes of secondary thrombocytosis were tissue injury (32.2%), infection (17.1%), chronic inflammatory disorders (11.7%) and iron deficiency anemia (11.1%). The median platelet count and the incidence of thrombosis were significantly higher in patients with primary thrombocytosis than in those with secondary thrombocytosis. Conclusion Thrombocytosis mainly occurs as a secondary event; however, it is important to determine the cause of and prevent thrombosis, particularly in cases of primary thrombocytosis.
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